Essay Example on Our Blindness: Failing to See the Signs of Our Times

Just Another Word for River commences by pointing out at some of the government as well as political activities that citizens are so blind to observe. The author points out that the century provided some compelling examples of people not seeing what is about to befall them as a community (Allen 112). The author gives the example of the majority of European Jews just before and during World War II as the most noticeable in this case.

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The author reveals how the majority of people have failed to see the course, used as the River in this case, that is usually set by many political leaders as well as future culprits of war (Allen 112). However, some people can see further ahead of other people in the community than the most majority who have been brainwashed by these politicians. The author gives an example of a modern-day Cassandra who used to speak the truth to the people, but the community usually ignored him. As a result, none of the villagers escaped the wraths he warned against while there was still time to escape. Notably, this is a classic modern-day example of how citizens elect bad and corrupt leaders to leadership roles (Allen 113). Afterward, they are left to lament about the leaders they elected as they are not able to lead effectively and represent citizens well.

Therefore, some people can see further than the majority of the people in the community because they tend to pay attention to the choices they make. Such individuals are independent-minded and tend to make informed decisions that are critically observed hence making them unique. In this manner, they can see further than the majority (Allen 113). In most cases, these people are despised as fools who do not know what they are saying. But in the real sense, these people are very sober. They speak the truth that if every community member hid, then we cannot fall prey to politicians whose intentions are only to benefit from people they represent.

For every citizen to know how their governments, as well as leaders, perform, then it is true that every citizen has a responsibility to observe as well as understand the direction that people are heading. However, as stated above, this can only be achieved if all the citizens are left to make their own decisions about who to elect as their leaders and government (Allen 114). By having the responsibility to understand and observe, the citizens will be able to participate and interrogate the leaders and governments, and this can lead to better service delivery to the citizens.

As pointed out in the fictitious dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon in Allegory of the Cave, Socrates is asking Glaucon to imagine a cave where prisoners are kept where they have been since their childhood. The prisoners are held in a strange manner as they are chained so that they cannot move by both legs and hands and forced to look at the wall (Peterson 275). Notably, behind these prisoners is some fire, and between the prisoners and the fire, there exists a raised walkway. Socrates uses these images to portray politicians who are being praised by the citizens who are kept as prisoners. Socrates even claims that the prisoners presumed that the images were so real and not a representation of what is real.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the story Just Another Word for River reveals how citizens are so blind to observe what is happening in their governments. They have neglected the responsibility of observing and understanding the direction in which they are heading. As a result, politicians and various governments of the modern-day have taken advantage to rule as they wish.

Works Cited

Allen, Danielle. Our declaration: A reading of the Declaration of Independence in defense of equality. WW Norton & Company, 2014.

Peterson, Valerie V. "Plato's Allegory of the Cave: literacy and "the good"." Review of Communication 17.4 (2017): 273-287. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Valerie_Peterson/publication/319938591_Plato%27s_Allegory_of_the_Cave_literacy_and_the_good/links/5cd4438792851c4eab8ee768/Platos-Allegory-of-the-Cave-literacy-and-the-good.pdf